Photo: Great Blue Hole · Public domain
First-Timer Guide 🇧🇿Belize: What to Know Before You Go
Destination Intel / Belize
A typical first trip here runs about $1,050 to $1,400 per person for 7 days at a mid-range style, before flights. This is a rough estimate from PINYA regional pricing, not hand-reviewed yet, and not a live price. Real cost moves with your dates and exchange rates. Get a tailored number in the Budget Calculator, or have The Crown price your exact trip.
Culture, Food and Etiquette
- Rice and beans cooked in coconut milk, the Belizean staple
- Stewed chicken with recado (achiote paste), the national dish
- Fry jacks, puffy fried dough served with eggs and beans for breakfast
- Boil up, Saturday tradition of fish, plantain, and vegetables in one pot
- One Barrel rum and Belikin beer, the essential Belizean drinks
- Garifuna Settlement Day (November 19), celebrating Garifuna cultural arrival
- September Celebrations, Belize's National Day and Independence Day parades
- Belize Barrier Reef, second-largest coral reef system in the world
- Mayan ruins: Caracol, Xunantunich, and Lamanai in the jungle
English is the official language, the only English-speaking country in Central America. Belizean Creole is widely spoken.
Spanish, Garifuna, and Mayan languages are also spoken by various communities. Communication is generally very easy for English speakers.
- Belizeans are easygoing and laid-back, match their relaxed energy
- Respect marine environments, the reef is protected, no touching coral
- Tipping 10% is appreciated in restaurants
- Belize is small but extraordinarily diverse in culture and nature
Best Time to Visit
Belize is tropical; the dry season is the popular time to visit, while the rainy season overlaps the Atlantic hurricane season.
- Peak: December to April
- Shoulder: May, November
- Off season: June to November, the rainy and hurricane season
Source: nms.gov.bz
Getting Around
- Domestic flights and water taxis reach the cayes.
- Buses run along the main highways between towns.
- Golf carts are a common way to get around the islands.
Source: travel.state.gov
What moves the cost: The winter high season and the holidays cost the most on the cayes, while the rainy season is cheaper.
Common Questions
Do US citizens need a visa to visit Belize?+
Source: travel.state.gov
Is Belize safe for first-time travelers?+
Source: travel.state.gov
Latest for Belize
Updates for Belize will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.